The Lilywhites looked odds-on for the drop just a few weeks ago after a disastrous run under the previous dugout incumbent, Igor Tudor.
Only one scenario could see Spurs relegated
However, De Zerbi's appointment, Spurs' subsequent fighting spirit and the Hammers' complete loss of their own form in the final few games had seen to it that the North Londoners held a distinct advantage with 90 minutes left of the 2025/26 campaign.
The only scenario that would send them plummeting into the Championship was if they lost to Everton and the Irons beat Leeds.
Given that the Yorkshiremen were on an eight-match unbeaten run in the league, and Everton had won on just one of their previous 16 visits to Tottenham, as well as being on a four-match winless run away heading into the final match, the odds were very heavily stacked in favour of De Zerbi and Co.
Spurs had also beaten the Toffees 3-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium in October. However, the one note of caution is that they had not won in the league in front of their own fans in 2026.
Intent from the North Londoners was clear
The intent from the hosts was clear from the very beginning of the match, with Richarlison, Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, Conor Gallagher, Destiny Udogie, Joao Palhinha (twice) and Kevin Danso (twice) all having efforts at goal.
Mathys Tel had already created three opportunities in the first 15 minutes, and with 66% collective possession in that opening quarter hour for the hosts, Jake O'Brien's yellow card for a tactical foul was born out of frustration.
David Moyes' pre-match words that he'd like to do everything he could to help West Ham stay up sounded pretty hollow at that point, with Everton completely on the back foot throughout the opening exchanges.
It needed James Garner to be able to get his foot on the ball for the Toffees to have anything like an extended period of possession, and his 94.4% pass completion stood out amongst what was a very average output from his teammates.
Joao Palhinha's goal was a reward for his incredible effort
Spurs clearly had the bit between their teeth, with Palhinha really putting in a shift in central midfield.
His winning back of possession on seven separate occasions, three shots on goal (the most of any Tottenham player in the first 30 minutes), and 10 one-on-one duels won from 14 attempted, were a chief reason why Everton could only muster two blocked efforts from Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and an off-target header from Thierno Barry.
Consistent raiding down either flank from the likes of Udogie and Porro opened up the pitch more centrally, with the space created allowing Gallagher, Tel and Richarlison to eventually head into double figures collectively for touches in the Everton box.
Such pressure was always going to reap a reward, and when Palhinha's low shot crossed the line just before half-time, the roar in the stadium might well have been heard on the other side of London.
Everton offered nothing in attack
His fifth of the campaign, and arguably the most important, also gave him a career-high goals output for a single season.
Ominously for West Ham, Tottenham hadn't lost in their last four games when taking the lead, and Everton hadn't won any of their last six when going behind, so if the Lilywhites could withstand any pressure from the Toffees after half-time, they were home and dry.
Only five passes in the first half from Richarlison against his old side weren't what was needed from Spurs' top scorer on the day, and his subsequent substitution by De Zerbi wasn't a surprise.
With three of Tottenham's back four completing over 90 per cent of their passes, too, the hosts were very comfortable at the back for the most part, and in van de Ven, they had one of the game's outstanding performers.
Van de Ven commanding at the back
Literally and metaphorically, he was head and shoulders above anyone else, winning five of his eight aerial duels, making six clearances, and being in such command of his position that he saw to it that he didn't even need to make a single tackle all afternoon.
To give a little more perspective as to how comfortable the hosts were throughout the game, Everton's only shot on target didn't arrive until the 99th minute from substitute Tyrique George, an effort that was superbly tipped over by Antonin Kinsky for his only save of the match.
That's despite the Toffees having two-thirds of the ball in the final quarter hour of the game.
Ultimately, this was a game where quality could be put to one side because the result was all that mattered to Spurs.
Time for the Tottenham board to dig deep
That they did get the win required, but did so with apparent ease despite the intense pressure that would've been felt by everyone, is a testament to how well De Zerbi has turned things around in N17.
For two seasons now, however, things have been a little too close for comfort, so if the club don't want to be involved in a relegation dog-fight for the third season in a row, then the board need to back the Italian to the hilt in the transfer market, in the same way as North London neighbours, Arsenal, have done with Mikel Arteta.
